Splendid and Simple

Detail from Portrait of a Lady in Turkish Fancy Dress (1790) by Jean-Baptiste Greuze


It's been a long while since last we celebrated the birth date of an "old master" type of painter. So, let's take a brief opportunity to appreciate the works of Jean-Baptiste Greuze. He's not the most famous of ancien regime painters, but I like his work nearly just as much as his more famous contemporaries.

And, of course, I'm loco for rococo. ;-)

Rather than focusing on his more popular works, I've posted up some works from the local Los Angeles collections.

Detail from The Laundress (1761) by Jean-Baptiste Greuze

He was born on August 21, 1725. Let's appreciate the conjunction of splendor and "simplicity" within Greuze's aesthetic vision.

Muses Work All Day Long. . .

Detail of Dancer Taking a Bow (The Star) (1877) by Edgar Degas

". . . And then at night get together and dance."

That's one of my favorite quotes about the Arts. It's especially appropriate for today, on the birth date of Edgar Degas, born in 1834, one of my favorite Impressionists. No other artist has captured the beauty and grace of dancing as well.

It's all about motion and the transience of the moment. The way in which the figures are positioned, the flashes of color, the evocation of space, these elements create a visual rhythm that carries the eye across the canvas, as if, through the act of seeing, the viewer is a participant in the dance itself.

The Tub (1888) by Edgar Degas


It's a lyrical vision that can also be seen in his sculptural works. Even something as placid as taking a bath becomes a study in motion, a languid twist and stretch, with a natural grace and an inviting poise.

The Progress of Love

Detail of Happy Lovers (1760) by Jean-Honore Fragonard


My love for Rococo art is well documented. Frequently, during museum excursions, my friends have sighed with resignation or rolled their eyes in disdain when I gleefully exclaim, "I'm loco for Rococo!!!"

Perhaps my favorite Rococo master is Jean-Honore Fragonard, born on April 5, 1732. The vibrant colors, soft figures, dreamy landscapes, these all make for a delightful fantasy realm of lighthearted eroticism and whimsical play. If, by magic, I were pulled into the environs of any painter's aesthetic settings, I would want to travel to Fragonard's pastoral and abundant world of beauties.

The local museums don't have many of his works, but the few that they do have are fun pieces. The Happy Lovers at the Norton Simon is one of my favorite paintings in the collection.

Detail of the Fountain of Love (1785) by Jean-Honore Fragonard

So, let's spend a few moments appreciating the gentle grace of Fragonard's lyrical images, the poetic prettiness of his art.

The Arena Is Full of Blood!!!

Detail of Bullfight, Suerte de Varas (1824) by Francisco Goya


Georges Bizet's opera, Carmen, premiered on March 3, 1875.

In operatic history, it is one of the most influential works, bringing into vogue an interest in realism as a viable subject matter for the stage. The music became a staple of the repertoire, breaking the Italian and German dominance of the genre. Sadly, it was Bizet's last opera, but it certainly was a masterful way in which to punctuate the life of a composer.

So, let's celebrate this classic work. And what of the Goya paintings? Well, the opera is about beauty, passion, and death in 1820s Spain. I figured the Goya's would make a nice visual accompaniment. ;-)

Detail of Young Woman with a Letter (1819) by Francisco Goya

Let's listen to some music.

Diffuse Reflections, Part II

Venus Victorious (1914) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, on view in the Sculpture Garden at the Norton Simon Museum

I had been considering paying a trip to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena to attend a lecture "Human and Divine: Face to Face with Hans Memling's Portraits" by Maryan Ainsworth, curator of European Paintings at the Met, but, whereas I started the day on the fence in this matter, Renoir's birth date settled it. No other Los Angeles area museum has such interesting examples and diversity of his work.

So, it was off to Pasadena for me. And while I was there, discussing the Frick Collection, from where the current exhibit of Memling's Portrait of a Man is on loan, I found out that there was an interesting show of Renoir's work. It looks mighty impressive. If I had the time and money, I'd be on my way to NYC to check it out. ;-)

But I'll content myself with the local treasures and some very cool vids that the Frick has put up on YouTube.

Detail of Bouquet of Lilacs (1875-80) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Beautiful work!!!

Diffuse Reflections

Bal du Moulin de la Galette (1876) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir


I find the paintings of Pierre-Auguste Renoir to be the most charming examples of Impressionism, filled with lush figures, sumptuous colors, and human warmth.

While my passion for Impressionism ebbs and flows over the years, I have always adored Renoir. I think it is because his work is generally about people, not landscapes or Parisian boulevards. Moreover, he focuses on average people, not ballerinas or prostitutes. To bring out such beauty from the quotidian experience of humanity, this is what I find compelling.

Some might dismiss it as mere bourgeois sentimentality. Certainly, there is some validity to the charge, but I think it overlooks both the astute way in which Renoir captures the spirit of the moment and the innovative painting techniques that he utilizes in doing so. The artistry is found in how the artist expresses the image.

Detail of Dance at Bougival (1882-83) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

So, let's celebrate Renoir's birth date, born on February 25, 1841, by admiring the wonderful beauty of his paintings.

Image of the Words

Judith and Holofernes (1866) by Gustave Dore

My approach to appreciating art, in all of its forms, is to look for a meaning, a narrative, some type of significance, which will stimulate my mind in some aesthetic manner. Therefore, illustration would seem to be the art form which I would love most, but it isn't. Too often, illustrators rely upon the written text to carry the burden of the narrative creativity, which results in mere functionality without adding to or transforming the base inspiration.

In my view, illustration is like alchemy, taking a source material and transforming it, through the addition of images, into a more refined product. Of course, some works start out at such a higher grade that you can't really "improve" it, but a quality illustrator can add value by creating linked images that amplify the impact of the text.

Few illustrators in the history of the art form have been as good at this as Gustave Dore.

The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones (1866) by Gustave Dore.

So, in honor of his birth date, born in 1832, let's admire some of his awesome Biblical illustrations.

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

Edith Piaf was born on December 19, 1915.


I never liked the sound of Edith Piaf's voice, back in the days when I was obsessed with vocal performance, way back in the early '90s. Rough, flat, goat-like, these were some of the ways in which I would describe it. My idea of vocal quality was limited to those classically trained operatic or "art song" performers. Piaf's style didn't fit into my conception of beauty.

Well, it is in the nature of the practicioner of aesthetic pettifoggery to quibble over nuances, in an ever escalating display of greater intellectual rigour and purity. So, I found myself defending the expressive and impassioned performance style of Maria Callas against accusations that she was an inferior singer to other great operatic divas. My argument was that Callas was sacrificing purity of tone as an aesthetic choice to intensify the drama of the words. The singer is not merely a pitch-perfect tone-generating automaton, but an interpreter and unique articulator of the music's premise.

A few days later, I got into a discussion with an Edith Piaf enthusiast. As I was about to denounce her music, I realized that my defense of Maria Callas applied equally to Piaf. Those rough spots in her performances are deliberate choices, annunciations of the human spirit, granting poignancy to the words. At that moment, I had a conversion to the imperfections of human expressiveness, away from the foolish conviction that regarded the voice as a mere instrument with which to generate clear and uninflected notes.

And, so, I want to remember Edith Piaf's artistry on her birth date, born in 1915.

En Plein Air

Wheatstacks, Snow Effect, Morning (1891) by Claude Monet, Getty Museum


Yeah, I know that we've been hitting the art topics with high frequency this last weekend. There are many wonderful people to discuss today, but I couldn't ignore Claude Monet, born on this date in 1840.

My feelings about Monet are complex, but all highly positive. Perhaps, the most important way in which he has influenced the development of my own personal aesthetic base is in the "plein air" technique. The concept behind "en plein air" is to work quickly on a piece, assessing the subject's salient features, composing the aesthetic structure, and expressing the authentic experience. By practicing this method, both in pictorial and verbal styles, I feel that my skill as both an artist and a critic of art has been enhanced.

As regards Impressionism, I have a deep love for this style. Fortunately, the local museums have wonderful examples on display, even a few Monet's. It is always a thrill to visit these "old friends" that I've been admiring for over three decades. Maybe I'll finally pay that visit to the Getty that I've been planning for a few weeks now. ;-)

The Artist's Garden at Vetheuil (1881) by Claude Monet, Norton Simon Museum

In any case, let's take a moment to reflect on how amazing human beings are that we could produce an artist like Claude Monet.

Rejection of Rococo

Detail from The Coronation of Napoleon (1806) by Jacques-Louis David

Today marks the birth date of Jacques-Louis David, born in 1748. David came into prominence during the Revolutionary era of France and remained a vital artistic influence throughout the Napoleonic era. He painted in a Neoclassical style, with a sculptural severity that rejected the flowing elegance and opulence of the Rococo style of his predecessors.

I'm not a fan of his works. The style feels stiff and excessively dramatic with propagandist overtones. But they are powerful paintings with excellent technique and engaging narrative composition. Moreover, these works absolutely must be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Their sculptural design may look clunky in a picture book or webpage, but this illusionist use of perspective and modelling makes for a commanding and monumental pictorial space when viewed on site.


Self Portrait of the Artist (1794) by Jacques-Louis David


So, although I'm not an enthusiast, I certainly admire David's artworks.

Pity Is Treason

Reign of Terror

On this day in 1758, Maximilien Robespierre was born. He was a leading figure of the French Revolution, who eventually came to dominance as the head of the Committee of Public Safety and a chief proponent of the Reign of Terror. It is possible that 40,000 people met their demise during the Terror, executed by guillotine. On July 28, 1794, the Terror was ended with the execution of Robespierre and his allies on the Committee.

It's hard to see such a blood drenched figure in a positive light. His advocacy of Terror and persecution outweighs his interests in egalitarian reform and in the creation of a society in which prosperity was a possibility for all. Certainly, he had good initial intentions, but his actions were unambiguously evil. People were executed merely for voicing criticism or even being suspected of voicing criticism.

I see the French Revolution as being an inspiring movement at the beginning. The Age of Kings needed to be put to an end and their "Divine Rights" forever rejected. There was so much potential good that existed as a part of the Revolutionary Spirit. However, it was coopted by small-minded men, unwilling to work together to form a cooperative government. Instead, there was Anarchy and Terror.

Many people are to blame for the failure of the Revolutionary Spirit, but Robespierre deserves being singled out for special vilification.

Here's a vid about Robespierre:

Here's a link to Robespierre's Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!